The present invention pertains to a device for processing respiration gas containing a filling of an oxygen-releasing chemical in a cartridge that can be accommodated in a housing to which the respiration gas connection can be connected.
Such devices are used, for example, for respirators in an atmosphere containing harmful substances and serve to generate oxygen independently when the ambient air cannot be used for supplying respiration gas because of the lack of possibilities of filtration. These include respirators with a closed respiration circuit, in which the respiration gas is prepared via a chemical cartridge containing KO.sub.2 for regenerating the exhaled air. Here the exhaled CO.sub.2 and the exhaled water vapor are reacted and oxygen is formed; this is returned into the respiration circuit. Such a device with a corresponding cartridge is described in West German Auslegeschrift (West German patent application laid open to public inspection after examination and acceptance by the German Patent Office) No. DE-AS 21,59,493.
In addition, the presence of a certain amount of oxygen reserve in the form of chlorate candles is necessary for certain applications of known respirators and resuscitating devices if the oxygen available in the ambient atmosphere is not sufficient. Such candles have a filling consisting of an alkali metal chlorate mixture which releases oxygen by burning after ignition and feeds it into the respiration circuit. Such respirators and resuscitating devices with the corresponding oxygen generator are described in West German Offenlegungsschrift No. DE-OS 34,22,021.
Because all the known chemicals are extremely sensitive to water vapor and are sensitive to shocks and vibrations in the consistency in which they occur, be it in the form of candles, pellets, or as a granular bulk filling, utmost care is needed during production and processing. Thus, on the one hand, it is to be ensured that all parts of the cartridge, which must be made of metal because of the heat evolving during the operation, should be water vapor-tight in order to avoid the undesirable activation of the chemical, which would lead to the premature release of oxygen, during the often prolonged storage. To prevent corrosion, all metal parts are to be made of special stainless steel. Consequently, the prior-art candles are complicated and expensive to produce, which is also manifested in high consumption costs, because the used candles cannot be reused. To provide a filling that is insensitive to shocks and vibrations, additional measures are required to pre-tension the contents of the cartridge in the case of a granular filling or to pad the cartridge in the case of a candle filling.